Page 2 of A Taste Of Darkness

“Your girlfriend’s new lover,” Red Mask replied.

That one time Kai could’ve been useful, he wasn’t even in Canada. Though I was sure I wasn’t exactly Kai’s favorite person, I knew if I was in trouble, he’d get me out of it in a heartbeat. But since my sister recently found out she was pregnant, they went on a last, more-or-less childless vacation together.

I couldn’t concentrate any longer on what Kai responded, but I didn’t have to, either, as the guy dropped my phone onto the floor, then repetitively stepped on it like it was going to stop Kai from being able to track me down.

It didn’t matter that my phone was broken, I could replace it. Honestly, I didn’t actually care about anything but making it out alive. Alright, and perhaps a part of me was happy that all of them fled my store now, leaving every single thing but the money behind.

Though I knew they ran away, I still couldn’t bring myself to move for another minute, cramped up on the floor behind the register. Tears streamed down my face, and my shoulders shook violently.

Opening my boutique here was the worst idea I’ve ever had in my entire life.

Only when the landline phone started ringing did I manage to get myself to sit.

I reached for the phone and picked up without checking who was calling. I assumed it was just Kai anyway.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle for once. “You’re at work, so why did some guy pick up your phone and said he was your new lover? I know you’re not seeing anyone, and if you did, they sure as fuck wouldn’t dare talk to me that way. Or even assume I was in any way involved with you beyond your connection to my wife.”

My breath came out ragged, and I suppose Kai could hear it because he was able to make up his own reason why some random guy picked up my phone without me having to explain it.

“Fuck, Sterlie. Just hold on for a second,” he said. “I’ll get you some help.”

“I want to leave,” I told Kai, my voice still clogged with tears. “Can you tell Flora I’m okay?”

“I will, and I’m glad you are.” He cleared his throat. “I’m going to assume they’re gone.”

“Uh-huh… uhm, Kai… I’ll just go ahead and call the police now, okay? Thanks for checking in, bye!” I hung up the phone before he could reply, but knowing my brother-in-law, he wasn’t going to either way, so I was fine. He talked plenty a second ago. That was already more words than I usually got from Kai in six whole months.

However, my reason for rushing this conversation wasn’t because I planned on calling the cops. I knew I should’ve called them, but I heard voices again. They were a little further away, but I could just tell there were more than five this time. And something in my gut told me if I didn’t run now, I wouldn’t have seen the day tomorrow.

So, without hesitating for another second, I ran out of my boutique and down the street. I didn’t care that I didn’t lock my store, if these guys were to come back to get what they wanted, they would’ve just broken the windows anyway. At least if the store was already open and free of me or any other customer, they would’ve left my windows in one piece.

As I ran down the street, I had no clear target in sight. I just wanted to leave that store and get as far away from it as possible. That was until I found myself in front of a huge, fancy building.

Two security guards were standing in front of the entrance, not budging even when one scary guy tried to argue his way inside.

From the outside, Tartarus looked like a normal, super fancy nightclub, but I knew it was so much more than that.

The stairs up to the entrance doors lit up in a light pink shade, quite the contrast to its dark steps. Even the huge signs just above the doors and right by the top of the building lit up in pink. Milo never struck me as the person to enjoy a pink touch, yet here we were.

I approached the building, but neither of the security men stopped me until I tried to open the door without my membership card. It was impossible, I was aware of that, but I thought I could at least try.

“No entry for non-members,” one of them said. His voice was strict, harsh.

I had enough encounters with broody, miserable people tonight, and still, I sucked it up. I needed to get inside of that building. If I was lucky, Arlo was there.

Arlo was Kai’s best friend, and though I hadn’t exchanged more than ten words with him in the past two years, he was the only guy I trusted to take me back to my store. I had to go back seeing as I left my keys there, but I wouldn’t have done that all alone.

“Can you make an exception for me?” I asked and got no reaction. Of course that wouldn’t work, I should’ve known. “Look, Mr. Security Guy… I was just robbed, and I know you don’t give a damn what happened to me because you get paid way more than to listen to my little sob story, but inside that stupid building is a friend of mine. He’s the only one who can help me and?—”

He held his hand up. “Don’t care.”

So, my one secret weapon it was. It was a risk, and I wasn’t even sure if it would work, but it was worth a try. “I know you don’t, but do you know who will?”

I stood right underneath the enormous guy’s nose. Shit, he was taller than I realized up until this point, but I stood strong. I was an Adams. I knew how to be tough. It was in my blood.

“Your boss will care,” I said. He didn’t even look fazed at all. In fact, the guy looked bored. Like he heard this a million times a day.

Now I was panicking. If I didn’t get inside, I would have to spend the next week on the street, waiting for my sister to come back. I had no money; my credit card, apartment keys, and even my stupid ID was still in the boutique. And I was on no-talking terms with my father, so I couldn’t even call him to help me.